Detecting Residual Liquor and Sludges in Pipework and VesselsCopy Link

The NUiX challenge competition, delivered by the KTN, is supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies (the Challenger) to identify innovative solutions to its innovation challenges. The winning business(s) in this competition will be given a commercial opportunity to deliver their solution and receive support from the KTN and the wider InnovateUK network.

Background

The Nuclear Innovation Exchange (NUiX) is supporting a challenge holder to identify transferable solutions for its innovation and customer needs.

Nuclear power plants are some of the most complex industrial sites requiring remediation in Western Europe. Sellafield alone consists of more than 2,200 buildings including 170 major nuclear facilities.

During the decommissioning process it is important that vessels and pipework do not contain unknown volumes of liquor and / or solid materials. As such, the challenge owner is interested in assessing technologies that allow non-invasive detection of residual liquor and sludge (heels) in vessels and pipework.

Post Operational Clean Out (POCO) seeks to reduce plant radioactivity levels by orders of magnitude, which reduces the risk and hazard for decommissioning and, in turn, lowers the lifetime costs of the redundant plants and makes the plant more economical to dismantle.  Even with current post operational clean out (POCO) practices solids and solvents are left over.  Residual liquor and sludge are typically left over after post operational clean out (POCO) operations. 

The challenge owner is seeking a technique(s) which enables them to detect the presence of residual liquor and sludge (including radioactive material) in stainless steel pipework and vessels at a stand-off distance >1m and <25m.

Whilst not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:

• Medical / healthcare sector (inc. pharmaceutical sector)
• Oil and gas sector
• Chemical industry
• Landfill and waste industry
• Defence and security
• Sensors and advanced imaging
• Analytical instrument manufacture
• Food Industry

To meet the desired timescale and minimise risk, it is preferred that the proposed solution, or the key part(s) of the solution, has been previously demonstrated in an industrial environment (>TRL 3).  The solution should be achievable with health and safety requirements and regulations.

Rewards and benefits

Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to the challenger. The package may also include:

• Support from the challenge owner to develop the technology
• Support from the Catapults or the KTN to identify development funding opportunities
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot study
• Technical support
• A place at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration
• Potential to access the Game Changers programme (inc. funding)

Solution Requirements

Functional Requirements

• Must be able to detect residues and heels (layer of solids / sludge) in stainless steel pipe and vessels at a stand-off distance greater than 0.5m but a stand-off distance of between 1m and 25m
• Be able to determine the nature / phase of the material present e.g. liquid, sludge or solid (desirable)
• Be able to detect the quantity of the residual liquor and sludge (desirable)

Technical Characteristics

• Pipework range in diameter from 50mm and 200mm
• Residual liquor and sludge (heels) often collect in pipe U-bends and pipe legs
• Vessels range from 5m³ to 150m³ in volume
• Vessels typically contain stainless steel furniture (e.g. wash rings, baffles, pipes etc.)
• Whilst most vessels are single skinned, some vessels have an inner and outer double skin. The gap between the inner and outer skin is typically air filled
• Vessels may be insulated
• Wall thickness of the vessels are typically <10mm
• The residues and heels may be radioactive, acidic, chemotoxic or alkali

Deployment Timescale

• There is an immediate need for the technology
• Validation of solution: within 1 year (via non-active trials)
• Field trials: within 1-2 years (via active trials)
• Commercial implementation: within 3 years (quicker if possible)

Operating Conditions

• The pipes and vessels are typically in highly congested areas / rooms
• Access can range from a door opening to a 150mm diameter access port
• Temperatures do not exceed 50°C
  • Any residual liquor, sludge, pipework and vessels are typically at thermal equilibrium

Cost requirement and marketing opportunity

• It is estimated that the cost benefit of POCO could be a saving of £1.8bn across the life span of three key reprocessing facilities at Sellafield.
• Every nuclear plant which is in the decommissioning phase will need to go through POCO and therefore the global opportunity is significant
• A number of facilities are due to undergo POCO over the next 40 years at Sellafield with opportunities in the next 2-4 years
• Opportunities exist across many decommissioning sites both nationally and internationally

Eligibility and assessment criteria

Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the UK and European Market

IP and Potential Commercial Route

• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the NUiX programme.